Art of making ice



Dec. 4, 1934. w. H. TAYLOR 4 ART OF MAKING ICE 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed May 13. 1933 INVENTOR.

7 W MMYW ATTORNEY5.

Dec. 4, 1934. w. H. TAYLOR 1,982,842

ART OF MAKING ICE Filed May 13, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \wz 27L x V 29 -la 63 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ART OF MAKING ICE Application May 13, 1933, Serial No. 670,838

25 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of making ice from water or other congealable liquid, and relates more specifically to improved instrumentalities for producing minute ice particles or crystals and for compressing the same into solid strips or blocks of ice.

Generally defined, an object of this invention is to provide improved ice making apparatus which is relatively simple and compact in construction, and which is moreover highly efficient in operation.

It has heretofore been proposed as shown and described in Patent No. 1,930,569, granted October 17, 1933, and Patent No. 1,937,174, granted November 28, 1933, to make commercial ice by continuously producing ice particles or crystals mixed with excess liquid, by subsequently separating the crystals from the excess liquid, and by finally compressing the separated crystals into a succession of ice briquets or ribbons. While this method of manufacturing ice has proven quite successful, it has been found that if the capacities of the ice producing and briquetting machines constituting an ice making unit, are

not maintained exactly equal at all times, the

density of the final ice may vary considerably,

so that some of the compressed ice bodies will be very hard and clear while others may be relatively soft and spongy. Such variation in the compactness of the successive briquets or in successive portions of a ribbon of ice, is sometimes objectionable, and because of the fact that the operating characteristics of such machinery will vary considerably during commercial operation, some means must be provided for preventing objectionable variation in uniformity of the final ice by compensating for variations in the operating characteristics of the two machines. Although it has been proposed in one of said prior patents, to vary thespeed of the briquetting machine according to variations in the applied pressure or the degree of compression of the ice, such control is, in some cases, insufllcient to meet the requirements.

It is therefore a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved method of controlling the operation of an ice-crystal press in order to insure production of uniformly compact successive final ice bodies.

Some of the other more specific objects of the present invention are as follows: I

To provide improved instrumentalities for automatically feeding slush ice or the like to a briquetting machine or similar press, and for conditioning the material for compression by removing excess moisture therefrom.

To provide improved mechanism for controlling the operation of an ice crystal briquetting press or the like, so as to insure production of ice having uniform density.

To provide improved feed mechanism for insuring maximum. capacity and efliciency of an ice producing unit for making solid ice.

To provide improved structure for forming a 65 succession of compressed ice bodies or ribbons of ice having uniform consistency.

To provide improved means for enabling most economical utilization of water or other congealable liquid in an ice producing unit. of the press type.

To provide an improved sump for facilitating the recirculation of excess liquid through an ice producing unit of the continuous type, and for purifying the liquid.

To provide various improvements in the details of construction and operation of ice making and pressing machinery, whereby the cost of construction and operation thereof is reduced to a minimum, while the efliciency is enhanced to a maximum.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of embodiments of the several features constituting the present invention, and of the mode 01 construction and' of operating ice making machinery built in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various view's: I

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective of a complete ice making unit comprising an ice crystal producing machine and a compressing machine cooperating therewith;

Fig. 2 is a part sectional side view of the improved compressing or briquetting machine and of the feed and control mechanism therefor;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the briquetting machine and of the feed and control mechanisms;

Fig. 4 is a part sectional side elevation of the improved sump and liquid purifier utilized in the ice making system; A

Fig. 5 is a top view of the sump and purifier;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section through a fragment of the rotor and compression plate of a briquetting machine for producing successive series of transverse sets of relatively small ice cubes or the like, the fragment being taken at the place of maximum compression and the section being taken along the irregular line 6-6 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 7 is a radial section through the fragment of the rotor and compression plate of the briquetting machine of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a similarly enlarged vertical section through a fragment of the rotor'and-compression plate of a press for producing iibbon ic'e having one side thereof corrugated, the fragment being taken at the place of maximum compression and the section being taken along the line 88 of Fig.9;and

Fig. 9 is a radial section through the fragment of the rotor and compression plate'of the press of Fig. 8.

While the invention has been specifically shown and described herein as being applied to partic ular types of ice producing and compressing machines, it is not intended to thereby limit the scope, since some of the features of the improvement are obviously more generally and advantageously applicable to other types of ice making machinery. y

Referring particularly to Fig.1, the improved ice making unit comprises in general an ice crystal or slush ice producing. machine 10, a press or briquetting machine 11 cooperating with the ice producing machine, a combined feeder and excess liquid separator interposed between the two machines 10, 11, and means for circulating the congealable liquid through the system or unit.

The ice producing machine 10 may be of the rotary continuous type shown in copending application Serial No. 588,261, filed January 23, 1932, now Patent No. 1,930,570, granted October 17, 1933, and consisting of an annular corrugated film forming surface and a rotor having cutters for constantly removing the ice crystals from the forming surface. Congealableliquid is supplied to the interior of this machine 10 through an inlet pipe 12, and is caused to flow along and over the film forming surface. the removed crystals mixing with the excess liquid to form slush ice which is delivered from the ice producing machine through a spout 13.

The combined feeder and excess liquid remover for transferring the ice crystals from the source of supply to the pressing mechanism, is shown in detail in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and comprises a vibratory or reciprocatory inclined screen 14 the upper end of which communicates directly with the spout 13, and an inclined pusher trough l5 rigidly attached to and depending from the lower end of the screen 14. The screen 14 has its rear end suspended by swinging links 16, and the forward portion of the screen is provided with rigid suspension brackets 17 coacting with rotary eccentrics 18 carried by a shaft '19 which is journaled in bearings mounted upon the, stationary screen housing 20. The housing 20 is trough shaped and has a drain pipe 21 attached to the lowermost portion thereof, and the shaft 19 is rotatable by a motor 22 through belt gearing 23 in order to constantly vibrate the screen 14 so as to convey the slush ice downwardly therealong.

The rotary press or briquetting machine 11 is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, and comprises a rotor 24 mounted for rotation upon a central shaft 25 and having an annular series of peripheral briquet forming recesses 26, and a normally stationary compression or breast plate 27 swingably supported upon a lower pivot 28 and having a longitudinally smooth curved compression surface 29 cooperable with the rotor recesses 26 to produce a succession of solid ice bodies or briquets 30. The upper end of the breast plate 27 is provided with an arm 31 which presses against the upper end of one or more springs 32 the lower ends of which react against adjustable screw plugs 33 mounted in the main casing 34 of the press, so that the breast plate 27 is resiliently urged toward the periphery of the rotor 24 which rotates in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. The opposite sides of the breast plate 27 adjacent the surface 29, are provided with longitudinal grooves 35 adapted to form projections on the briquets 30 for lifting the same out of the rotor recesses 26 as they advance toward the discharge Spent 36, andthe successive briquets 30 are moreover interconnected by relatively thin fins for urging them forward after leaving the forming recesses 26 of the rotor 24.

Disposed within the main casing 34 and likewise supported upon the pivot 28 but located on the opposite side of the rotor 24 from the breast plate 27, is an auxiliary feed casing 37 which is adjustably attached to the main casing by means of bolts 38 coacting with slots as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This auxiliary casing 3'1 extends upwardly above the main casing 34 and pusher trough 15, and has a guide section 39 swingably supported thereon by means of a pivot 40, so that the section 39 is disposed directly opposite to the trough 15. The pivoted section 39 normally tends to swing toward the trough 15 by gravity, and is connected to a control switch 41 of the standard two button control type, for stopping an starting the motor which drives sprocket 42 on the rotor shaft 25, by adjustable linkage 43, in such a manner that when the section 39 is nearest the trough 15 the press is stopped, whereas when it is farthest from this trough the press is operating. The swinging motion of the plate section 39 may be stabilized by means of a dash pot 44 disposed in the liquid in the lower portion of the main casing 34 and connected to an arm 45 secured to the linkage 43. but this dash pot should not prevent free dropping of the section 39 toward the trough 15 so as to stop the press driving motor when no ice is being fed over the screen 14.

The liquid supply and circulating system for the improved ice making unit, comprises a sump 46 shown in detail in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, and a circulating pump 47 shown in Fig. 1, together with suitable piping and valves for controlling the flow. The sump 46 comprises a cylindrical casing to the lower portion of which the drain pipe 21 of the screen housing 20 is attached tangentially, and which also has a tangential upper discharge pipe 48 leading to the suction side of the pump 4'7. Another inlet pipe 49 connects the lower portion of the main casing 34 of the press, with the sump 46 above the point of attachment of the pipe 21 thereto, and a float 50 rides upon the center of the liquid vortex within the sump. The float 50 controls the opening and closing of a valve 51 located in a fresh liquid supply pipe 52 which also has a shut-off valve 53 therein and which leads directly to a pre-cooling jacket formed in one of the end heads of the ice-crystal producing machine 10, and the discharge end of this jacket is connected to the inlet of a second similar jacket in the opposite end head of the machine 10, by a pipe 54. A discharge pipe 55 leading from this second pre-cooling jacket, delivers the fresh liquid directly into the top of the sump 46. The pump discharge pipe 56 communicates with the pipe 12 leading directly into the freezing chamber of the machine 10, and a by-pass pipe 5'7 having a valve 58 therein, connects the pump'suction and discharge pipes 48. 56. The pump discharge pipe 56 may also be provided with a branch pipe "59 leading to a tempering coil or heat exchanger, but this feature is not essential. It is to be noted that the circulating system just described, provides for pre-cooling of the fresh liquid, and for a 'return of the excess liquid separated from the ice crystals prior to compression thereof, to the ice crystal producing machine 10, and the regulation of the flow'is entirely automa'tic.

During normal operation of the improved ice I making unit, the ice crystal producing machine 10 is operating continuously and the removed crystals are constantly being delivered through the chute 13 upon the vibrating screen 14, by the excess liquid admitted to the ice crystal or film forming chamber. When the machine 10 is functiming, the motor 22 is also operat ng continuously to vibrate the inclined screen 14 through the eccentrics 18, and the liquid circulating pump 4'7 is also operating continuously. As the slush ice advances downwardly along the screen 14, the excess liquid is separated from the ice particles, and drops into the lower portion of the housing 20 from whence it flows through the pipe 21 and is eventually discharged tangentially into the bottom of the sump 46.

The ice particles being delivered in a constant stream from the lower end of the screen 14, slide down the reciprocating inclined trough 15, and when the rotor 24 is stopped, these ice particles accumulate or pile up in the space confined between the rot-or 24 and the auxiliary feed casing 37, and gradually build up within the space directly between the pusher trough 15 and the upper portion of the pivoted plate section 39. When the accumulation reaches this upper space, the reciprocating motion of the trough 15 produces slight compression of the ice particles deposited in this space and thus transmits pressure directly against the upper-extremity of the section 39, causing it to swing'about the pivot 40 away from the rotor 24. This swinging motion of the'plate section 39 is transmitted through the linkage 43 to the switch 41 and eventually causes the switch to snap into closed position thus placing'the motor which drives the rotor 24, in operaton. The rotor 24 revolves in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, and the teeth formed on the rotor periphery between the successive recesses 26, cause the ice crystals which have accumulated in the space at the left of the rotor, to advance along the breast plate 27 and to be gradually pressed into briquets 30 between the surfaces of the recesses 26 and the compression surface 29 of the breast plate. This pressing action continues until all of the accumulated ice particles have been compressed into briquets, and since the capacity of the ice-crystal producing machine 10 is less than that of the briquetting machine 11, the space between the trough l5 and the plate section 39 will gradually be vacated and the section 39 will swing by gravity toward the trough and the switch 41 will be opened to stop the rotation of the rotor 24 until a subsequent accumulation of ice-particles sufficient to close the switch, again takes place. .The dash pot 44 coacting with the lever 45, serves to dampen or stabilize the action of the section 39 when closing the switch 41, but does not retard the switch opening motion of the section 39, and the intermittent actuation of the briquetting machine 11 may be varied by adjusting the linkage 43 or the position of the casing 37, to cause compression of desired number of briquets 30 during each interval of activity of the press, and to also vary the thickness of the bodies. v r

The successive briquets 30 produced by this method, are all of substantially uniform density or hardness dependent upon the setting of'the springs 32, and during formation of the briquets, they are provided with lateral projections-by virtue of the fact that some of the ice particles are forced into and along the grooves 35 in the sides of the breast plate 27. The briquets 30 are forced along the grooves 35 and compression surface 29 by the revolving rotor 24 during the pressing action, and are endwise connected by thin fins', but when the pressing pressure is released, the grooves 35 become effective to cause the succession of ice bodies to move,away from the rotor periphery and to be eventually delivered upon the discharge spout 36. When the rotor 24'stops, the machine 11 remains filled with finished briquets 30 which are ultimately discharged'upon, restarting of the press, and the excess liquid expelled during the pressing action, fiows into the bottom of the main casing 34 and is delivered through the pipe 49 to the sump 46. i

The sump 46 is disposed sufflciently below the casing 34 to permit the excess liquid to' flow through the pipes 21, 49 by gravity, and the head. of the lquid in the pipe 21 causes the liquid 'de,-. livered therefrom into the sump, to flow at considerable velocity and to form a vortex within the cylindrical sump casing. The intensity of this vortex is accelerated or augmented by the cons. tinued tangential withdrawal of liquid by the pump 47 through the pipe 48, and this whirling motion of the liquid within the sump 46 prevents the ice particles which may pass through the screen 14, from floating to the top of the body of liquid within the sump and thus eventually clogging the circulating system. The rotary motion of the liquid within the sump 46 also prevents formation of eddies which would tend to draw. air into the suction pipe 48 of the pump 47, andmoreover functions as a separator to maintain particles of foreign matter such as screws, nuts or filings, which may reach the sump, near the bottom of the sump casing and away from the pump suction pipe 48. The system is maintained properly supplied with fresh liquid from the supply pipe 52, by the float 50 which actuates the automatic control valve 51 in an obvious manner, and the fresh liquid thus admitted is pre-cooled by passage though the jackets in the end heads of the machine 10, being conducted through the, pipes 52, 54, 55 before delivery thereof through the latter of these pipes into the upper end of the. sump. The valve 53 is normally open, and-ithe by-pass valve is normally closed, so that the pre-- cooled liquid which is withdrawn from the sump 46 is forced by the pump 47 through the pipes 56, 12 to the ice crystal producing machine 10 to be converted into slush ice. It will thus be apparent that the circulation of liquid and the production of slush ice is continuous, whereas the formation of the final briquets 30 is intermittent, the machine 11 being ordinarily operated several times per minute in actual practice to produce an enormous quantity of briquets comprising solid ice..

As illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, the briquet machine may be provided with'modified' compression elements for producing more and smaller ice bodies, or a continuous ribbon or band. of ice.

Referring specifically to Figs. 6 and 7, the rotor 3 radial ridges 80 three alined endwise spaced ridges to each setv The compression surface 61 or the breast plate 27' is provided with a series 0! longitudinal ribs 62 which tit within the spaces between the adjacentrldges 60 onthe rotor 2d. The breast plate 2'! is also provided with grooves 35 at the opposite sides thereof, and when the. modified machine is operating. the springs 32 coaeting with the breast plate 27' will cause this plate to swing away from the rotor 24" suniciently to cause the individual compressed lee body to be interconnected both laterally and longitudinally by flns which will permit advance ment of the finished bodies in succession. The ice bodies formed by this modified construction. will obviously be smaller, similating ordinary ice cubes disposed in a continuous series of sets having thme cubes in each set. a

. Referring specifically to Figs. 8 and 9, the rotor 24" is provided with a series of relatively small peripheral teeth forming parallel recesses 63 extending entirely across the rotor. The breast plate 2'l'is tormedasintheease otF'igJwith'a smooth compression surface 29 and with side grooves 35 extending along the opposite edges or the surface 29. when this further modified structure is operating, the ice particles are compressed into a ribbon of ice having a series of parallel projections extending across one face thereof and having a smooth opposite lace. The projections formed by the grooves 35 again tunction to release the ice ribbon from the rotor periphery, and the ribbon may be broken into short sections as it leaves the grooves 35, by merely providing a stationary guide plate in the path 0! the ribbon as it advances beyond the groove ends.

From the foregoing description it wilibe apparent that the present invention provides an improved ice making unit wherein uniformity of the final product is assured irrespective oi whether individual briquets or ribbon ice are being pro duced. 'lhe intermittent operation of the bri-' quetting machine 11 may be. varied to conform with the capacity 0! the continuously operating ice crystal producing machine 'l0. tothereby secure maximum efiiclency oi the unit. and the improved ieed and control mechanism effectively removes the excess liquid and insures automatic operation or the press at proper intervals.- The system also insures most economical utilization of the congealable liquid without waste, and the improved sump besides maintaining the circulating system in etlective operating condition, also removes undesirable foreign matter from the liquid. The improved system has proven highly successful in commercial operation and enables' rapid production of icein a unit of relatively small dimensions.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode of operation herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may oc.

our to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, means for producing ice crystals, means for compressing said crysinls, reciprocating means for conducting said crystals from said producing to said compressing means.

and for separating excess liquid therefrom, and means for utilizing the accumulated relatively dry crystals to operate said compressing means.

2. In combination, an ice-crystal producing 24 is provided with a peripheral series 0! parallel machine, a briquetting machine. a reciprocating ice-crystal conveying and liquid separating trough connecting said machines, and means (or utilizing-the accumulated crystals to actuate said briquetting machine.

8. In combination, an ice-crystal producing machine, a briquetting machine, a trough for conducting ice-crystals from the former to the latter of said machines, means tor constantly vibrating said trough, and means for utilizing the accumulated crystals delivered from said trough to actuate said brlquetting machine.

4. In combination, an ice-crystal producing machine. a briquetting machine, an inclined-pertorated trough for conducting ice-crystals from said producing to said brlquettingf machine, means tor reciprocating said trough at its delivery end, and means for utilizing the intermittent accumulation or theorystals delivered from said trough to actuate said briquettlng machine.

.6. In combination, an ice-crystal producing machine, a briquetting machine, and means operable by the quantity of crystals delivered from said producing machine to said briquetting machine and accumulated in advance oi the latter for starting and stopping said briquetting machine.

6. In combination. means for continuously producing ice-crystals, a brlquetting machine, and means operable by the quantity of crystals delivcred from said producing means to said brlquetting machine and accumulated in advance or the latter torinte'rmittently actuating said briquettins machine.

'I. In combination, a briquetting machine, teed means or constantly delivering ice-crystals to said machine, and means actuated by the crystals accumulated by said feed means for intermittently actuating said machine.

8. In combination, a rotary press, feed means for delivering slush ice-to said press, and means operable by the quantity of ice particles accumulated in advance oi the pressing zone by said feed means (or intermittently actuating said press,

9. In combination, a rotor,a compression member eooperable with said rotor to produces. ribbon or compressed material, means for longitudinally scoring the ribbon intermediate its edges,

and means on said member cooperable with successive portions of the ribbon to'remove the some from said rotor.

10. In combination, a rotor having aflseries of peripheral recesses. a compression member co- -operable with said rotor to produce a substantially continuous ribbonof compressed material,

tially continuous ribbon of compressed material.-

means on said plate {or longitudinally scorin said ribbon between its edges, and means on said plate ior forming guiding projections on the ribbon whereby the same is withdrawn from said re- 'cesses during advancement thereof.

12. In combination, a rotor having a circumierential series of peripheral recesses and pro- "jections extending transversely of said -recesses.

and a breast plate having a longitudinally smooth ribbed compression surface cooperable with the rotor periphery to produce a substantially con tinuous succession of solid bodies, said plate being formed to withdraw the bodies from said recesses during advancement thereof along said surface.

13. In combination, a rotor having an annular series of transversely extending sets of peripheral recesses, and a relatively stationary compression member having a longitudinally smooth ribbed surface cooperable with said rotor to press material into said recesses, said member being formed to withdraw the compressed material from said recesses during advancement thereof along said surface.

14. In combination, anice-crystal producing machine, means for removing the ice-crystals from said machine with excess liquid, means for separating the excess liquid from the ice-crystals, a sump, means for delivering the separated excess liquid tangentially into the bottom of said sump, and means for withdrawing liquid tangentially from said .sump remote from said delivery means.

15. The method of producing pressed ice, which comprises, compressing ice crystals into a succession of solid bodies, and utilizing the accumulation of crystals available to control the rate of production of the bodies.

16. The method of producing pressed ice, which comprises, continuously producing slush ice, separating the ice particles from the excess liquid, allowing. the ice particles to accumulate, and intermittently utilizing the accumulations of particles to control the rate of conversion thereof into solid ice bodies.

17. The method of producing pressed ice, which comprises, continuously producing slush ice, allowing the slush ice to accumulate, and intermittently utilizing the accumulations of slush ice to control the conversion thereby into solid ice bodies.

18. The method of producing pressed ice, which comprises, separating ice particles from the excess liquid contained in a supply of slush ice, allowing the ice particles to accumulate, and utilizing the accumulation of particles to control the conversion of said accumulation into solid ice bodies.

19. In combination, an ice crystal producing machine, a briquetting machine, a conveyor for transferring ice crystals from said producing mating machine.

20. In combination, an ice crystal producing machine, a briquetting machine, a conveyor for continuously transferring ice crystals from said: producing to said 'briquettin-g machine, and means for utilizing the accumulation'of crystals delivered by said conveyor to said briquetting machine to intermittently actuate the latter.

21. In combination, a continuously functioning ice crystal producing machine, anintermittently functioning briquetting machine, a conveyor for receiving slush ice from said producing machine" and for delivering ice crystals alone to said brlquetting machine, and means interposed betweenj said conveyor and said briquetting machine for utilizing the accumulation of ice crystals to intermittently start and stop said briquetting machine;-

22. In combination, a briquetting machine, feed means for constantly delivering ice crystals to said machine, and a movable plate operable by the accumulation of crystals delivered from said feed means to actuate said briquetting-machine.

23. In combination, a rotor, a compression member cooperable with said rotor to producecompressed ice bodies, feed means for constantly delivering ice crystals, and means interposed between said feed means and the compression zone between said rotor and said member for utilizing the accumulation of crystals to actuate said rotor.

24. In combination, a rotor, a breast plate 06- operable with said rotor to produce a series of compressed bodies, feed means for constantly delivering granular material to the space between said rotor and breast plate, and means for utilizing accumulations of granular material delivered from said feed means to intermittently actuate said rotor.

25. In combination, a rotor, a breast plate cooperable with said rotor to produce a series of compressed bodies, feed means for delivering granular material to the space between said breast plate and said rotor, and a movable plate 120' interposed between said feed means and said' breast plate for utilizing accumulations of granular material delivered from said feed means to intermittently actuate said rotor.

WILLIAM H. TAYLOR. 

